Sud Bustin' Blues

Here's another good one from smack dab in the middle of Prohibition. I find the span of the Fletcher Henderson series  fascinating because it shows both Henderson's growth and changes in popular music at the time. That, and it is just darned good music. "Originally appearing on the Pathe Actuelle, Brunswick, Ajax, Vocalion, Emerson, Columbia, and Banner phonograph labels, Fletcher Henderson's recordings from early 1924 make for peculiarly pleasant listening. It is possible to face up to these heavily arranged dance band records from the early '20s and actually enjoy the rickety arrangements. All you need to do is shed any preconceptions of what jazz is or ever was supposed to sound like. Anatol Schenker's liner notes point out that this music was intended to accompany theatrical performances. Even without that kind of historical perspective, this stuff sounds good with no context whatsoever, provided the listener surrenders to the weirdly wonderful world of thoroughly outmoded popular music. At the very least, these are funny old records. From the standpoint of early jazz, Coleman Hawkins and Don Redman are in here slogging away on their clarinets and saxophones, treading where few had ever set foot before them. Teddy Nixon periodically asserts himself with the slide trombone, and Kaiser Marshall proves to have been a spicy, resourceful percussionist. "Ghost of the Blues" appears to have been co-composed by Sidney Bechet, and sounds a lot like a product of that fine musician's mind. Redman's "Teapot Dome Blues" contains a rare example of Howard Scott soloing on the cornet. "Mobile Blues" allows room for a muffled solo by an unidentified kazoo player. Redman contributes a fine and sassy scat vocal on "My Papa Doesn't Two-Time No Time," which also exists elsewhere as a Rosa Henderson vocal backed only by Fletcher Henderson (no blood relation) at the piano. "Somebody Stole My Gal" bumps along marvelously and has a bass sax solo by Coleman Hawkins with Don Redman playing a weepy clarinet, even removing the mouthpiece from the instrument to achieve maximum cornball effects. "After the Storm" actually has segments of Rossini's William Tell Overture grafted into the chart, with someone blowing a siren whistle and Redman taking a solo on oboe. Nixon opens "Feeling the Way I Do" with growling trombone and Charlie Dixon demonstrates how a banjo could be used to propel nine other instruments by executing a series of well-timed blows across the strings. Together with piano and drums, the banjo was an agitator in these early ensembles. "Red Hot Mama" is an exciting illustration of how, during the first half of 1924, Henderson's band began to settle down and play something like real jazz." (Allmusic.com) Enjoy! +

Tracks

01. Chicago Blues
02. Why Put The Blame On You
03. Sud Bustin' Blues
04. War Horse Mama
05. Wish I Had You (And I'm Gonna Get You Blues)
06. Just Blues
07. I'm Crazy Over You
08. I Wish I Could Make You Cry
09. Say Say Sadie
10. Chicago Blues
11. Feelin' The Way I Do
12. Chattanooga (Down In Tennessee)
13. Ghost Of The Blues
14. Tea Pot Dome Blues
15. Mobile Blues
16. My Papa Doesn't Two-Time No Time
17. Somebody Stole My Gal
18. After The Storm
19. Driftwood
20. Feeling The Way I Do
21. Red Hot Mama

Scatter-Brain

This seems like a good follow-up to the last radio-based post. I can only imagine how cool it must have been to be able to hear weekly live broadcasts of one's favorite band. Let the radio warm up, find the station, and it's almost like being there. Nobody does that these days, alas. Fortunately for us, many radio band remotes survive to this day and we can hear the real thing still. Benny Goodman, Artie Shaw, Glenn Miller, the Dorseys, and many more ... so much great music. Although their 78 rpm recordings are essentially live recordings (no dubs, remixes, edits, etc.), it's different playing in front of a crowd of fans with expectations and reactions. These recordings give us the chance to see just how good the musicianship was, and Benny Goodman ran one of the tightest groups. Goodman went to Hollywood in 1936 to take advantage of a huge West Coast fan base that developed through East Coast broadcasts (9:30 pm) of Let's Dance. He joined CBS' Camel Caravan in 1936, with recordings existing from 1937 until late 1939 (this collection), as well as a couple more featuring Bob Crosby and his Orchestra into 1940. The show switched networks to NBC in March, 1939. Enjoy. +


Tracks

Benny Goodman and His Orchestra: Ted Pearson (announcer), Benny Goodman (cl),  Jimmy Maxwell, Johnny Martel, Ziggy Elman (trumpet), Red Ballard, Vernon Brown, Ted Vesely (tbn), Toots Mondello, Buff Estes (as), Buss Bassey, Jerry Jerome (ts), Fletcher Henderson (pn), Arnold Covey (g), Art Bernstein (bs), Nicky Fatool (d), Mildred Bailey (v).


Benny Goodman Sextet: Benny Goodman (cl), Lionel Hampton (vib), Fletcher Henderson (pn), Charlie Christian (g), Art Bernstein (bs), Nicky Fatook (d).

The Camel Caravan. November 4, 1939, NBC.

1. Introduction
2. Down By The Old Mill Stream
3. What's New
4. I Didn't Know What Time It Was (vocal, Mildred Bailey)
5. Bolero
6. Shivers (sextet)
7. Love Never Went To College
8. Scatter-Brain (vocal, Mildred Bailey)
9. Roll 'Em
10. Closing


The Camel Caravan. November 18, 1939, NBC.

11. Introduction
12. Scatter-Brain
13. Lilacs In The Rain (vocal, Mildred Bailey)
14. In The Mood
15. South Of The Border (sextet)
16. Swingin' A Dream (vocal, Mildred Bailey)
17. Boy Meets Horn (featuring, Ziggy Elman)
18. Oh Johnny Oh! (vocal, Mildred Bailey)
19. Sing, Sing, Sing (featuring, Lionel Hampton, drums)
20. Closing

Stealin' Apples

Here's some more Fletcher Henderson for you. "In early 1935 Fletcher Henderson broke up his classic orchestra but a year later, with the success of so many other big bands, he formed a new ensemble. This Classics CD includes four songs from 1934, Henderson's entire output from 1936 and his first recording of 1937. The main difference between the two units is that the later one boasted the trumpet of Roy Eldridge and tenor solos from Coleman Hawkins's potential successor, Chu Berry. "Christopher Columbus" became a hit as did the band's new theme song ("Stealin' Apples") but the brief bit of glory would not last. However, Henderson's brand of swing music still sounds fresh today and this CD is easily recommended." (Scott Yanow, Allmusic.com) Enjoy. +

Tracks

1. Wild Party
2. Rug Cutter's Swing
3. Hotter Than 'ell
4. Liza (All The Clouds'll Roll Away)
5. Christopher Columbus
6. Big Chief De Sota
7. Blue Lou
8. Stealin' Apples
9. I'm A Fool For Loving You
10. Moonrise On The Lowlands
11. I'll Always Be In Love With You
12. Jangled Nerves
13. Where There's You There's Me
14. Do You Or Don't You Love Me?
15. Grand Terrace Rhythm
16. Riffin'
17. Mary Had A Little Lamb
18. Shoe Shine Boy
19. Sing, Sing, Sing
20. Until Today
21. Knock, Knock Who's There?
22. Jim Town Blues
23. You Can Depend On Me
24. What Will I Tell My Heart?

New King Porter Stomp

Here's some more from Fletcher Henderson. Following the departure of Don Redman (to form his own successful band), this volume includes performances by Coleman Hawkins, John Kirby, Claude Hopkins, Buster Bailey, Russ Morgan, and more. A scan of the session info is included. Enjoy. +

Tracks

1. Honeysuckle Rose
2. New King Porter Stomp
3. Underneath the Harlem Moon
4. Yeah Man!
5. King Porter Stomp
6. Queer Notions
7. Can You Take It?
8. Queer Notions
9. It's the Talk of the Town
10. Night Life
11. Nagasaki
12. Hocus Pocus
13. Phantom Fantasie
14. Harlem Madness
15. Tidal Wave
16. Limehouse Blues
17. Shanghai Shuffle
18. Big John's Special
19. Happy as the Day Is Long
20. Tidal Wave
21. Down South Camp Meeting
22. Wrappin' It Up
23. Memphis Blues

King Porter Stomp

Not being very knowledgeable on jazz, sometimes I took a chance in the hopes that a Chick Bullock vocal just might not be listed on the back. This series is usually pretty good at highlighting some vocalists and key musicians on both the front and back covers but sometimes they didn't have room for everyone, so what the heck right? Well, no soap on this one. However it became the first of a half dozen or so Fletcher Henderson cds that I picked up because the music is just that fantastic. Enjoy another "[This] item has been discontinued by the manufacturer" selection.

From All Music Guide: With its high musicianship and many talented soloists (including trumpeters Rex Stewart and Bobby Stark, trombonist Jimmy Harrison, Coleman Hawkins on tenor and altoist Benny Carter), the Fletcher Henderson Orchestra should have prospered during this period, but unaccountably its leader (never a strong businessman) seemed to be losing interest in the band's fortunes and made several bad decisions. The result is that by 1931 Henderson's orchestra was struggling while Duke Ellington's was becoming a household name. This Classics CD, in covering over three years, demonstrates how few recordings this band made (only four songs apiece in both 1929 and 1930), although the quality largely makes up for the quantity. The original band version of "King Porter Stomp" and an explosive "Oh Baby" are the highpoints of this satisfying collection. - Scott Yanow, All Music Guide Session info scan included. Enjoy. +

Tracks 

1. Dear, on a Night Like This
2. There's a Rickety Rackety Shack (By a Rickety Rockety Road)
3. Sorry
4. King Porter Stomp
5. D-Natural Blues
6. Oh Baby
7. Feelin' Good
8. I'm Feelin' Devilish (Oh by Golly Oh)
9. Hop Off
10. Old Black Joe's Blues
11. Come on Baby
12. Easy Money
13. Freeze and Melt
14. Raisin' the Roof
15. Blazin'
16. The Wang Wang Blues
17. Chinatown, My Chinatown
18. Somebody Loves Me
19. Keep a Song in Your Soul
20. What Good Am I Without You?
21. I've Found What I Wanted in You
22. My Gal Sal
23. My Pretty Girl

Music of Prohibition

Enjoy some great music from the age of Prohibition. Today marks the 75th anniversary of the repeal of the Volstead Act, otherwise known as the 18th Amendment. + (256)

Tracks (covers)

1. Minnie The Moocher (Theme Song) (78rpm Version) - Cab Calloway & His Orchestra
2. Chicago Breakdown - Louis Armstrong
3. It Don't Mean A Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing) - Duke Ellington & his Orchestra
4. Sugar Foot Stomp - Fletcher Henderson
5. I Got Rhythm - Don Redman
6. Shim Sham Shimmy - The Dorsey Brothers Orchestra
7. Stompin' At The Savoy (78rpm Version) - Chick Webb's Savoy Orchestra
8. Kater Street Rag - Bennie Moten's Kansas City Orchestra
9. The Mooche - Duke Ellington
10. You Drink Too Much - State Street Swingers
11. Mood Indigo - Duke Ellington
12. Chicago Stomp Down - Duke Ellington
13. Take The A Train (78rpm Version) - Cab Calloway
14. Black And Tan Fantasy - Duke Ellington
15. St. Louis Blues - The Mills Brothers
16. Bootlegger Blues - Mississippi Sheiks
17. Rockin' In Rhythm - Duke Ellington
18. Diga Diga Do - The Mills Brothers
19. Sweet Georgia Brown - California Ramblers
20. When The Moon Shines On The Moonshine - Bert Williams
21. Charleston - California Ramblers
22. Happy Days Are Here Again - Casa Loma Orchestra

Man With A Horn Goes Beserk

If you listen to much old jazz, you've probably heard Buster Bailey but don't know much about him. I picked up this collection on a lark merely because of the date range and it remains one of my favorites. Except for four titles from 1959 and an obscure 1958 LP, everything Bailey recorded as a band leader is here. The first two cuts are scratchy, but hey - when you're dealing with 78s you take what you can find, and thankfully some dedicated engineers and fans work so hard to keep the music alive for the rest of us. This collection includes a virtual who's who of talent: Benny Carter, Fletcher Henderson, Charlie Shavers, Frankie Newton, Henry "Red" Allen, J.C. Higginbotham, John Kirby, Zutty Singleton and more. Enjoy. +

Tracks

1. Papa De-Da-Da
2. Squeeze Me
3. Call of the Delta
4. Shanghai Shuffle
5. The Bed Song
6. So You Won't Sing
7. Afternoon in Africa
8. Dizzy Debutante
9. Planter's Punch
10. Slow Jam Fizz
11. Chained to a Dream
12. Light Up
13. Man With a Horn Goes Berserk
14. Should I?
15. The Blue Room
16. April in Paris
17. Am I Blue
18. Seems Like a Month of Sundays (Since I Saw You Saturday Night)
19. The Fable of the Rose
20. Pinetop's Boogie Woogie
21. Eccentric Rag